Jat group threatens Delhi blockade during CWG

A Jat group seeking reservation for the community in government jobs today threatened to blockade Delhi during the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games, citing their recent blockage of water supply to the capital.

A Jat group seeking reservation for the community in government jobs today threatened to blockade Delhi during the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games, citing their recent blockage of water supply to the capital.

Yash Pal Malik, the chairman of Jat Reservation Struggle Committee, told IANS that his group would organise a meeting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi July 28, where their strategy would be disclosed.

He said that Jats live in a 200 km radius of Delhi and all means of transportation pass through their areas.

"If government needs petrol, the petrol tankers have to come through National Highway-2 that is coming through Jat-dominated areas of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Even the gas pipelines are coming under ground through their agriculture fields. It is very easy to disrupt the gas supply," he said.

"We would stop the supply of all commodities to Delhi including vegetables, water, petrol, grain and even vehicular movement if our genuine demands are not met," he threatened.

Malik also claimed that the Muslims are supporting the Jat movement. He said a Jat-Muslim reservation rally is being organised in Asara in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district July 25. Muslims from all over India including Jammu and Kashmir would participate in heavy numbers in the rally, he claimed.

If the government starts confrontation and deploys force, the Jats would move to the country areas and cut all types of supplies, he said. "We can even breach the Upper Ganga Canal if the necessity arises, Malik claimed.